


The Blame Game

by thatfamoushappyending (betsytheoven)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Dex Lashes Out, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-15
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-30 15:51:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3942601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/betsytheoven/pseuds/thatfamoushappyending
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After losing the championship game, Chowder believes the loss is entirely his fault and avoids the team. </p><p>Jack Zimmermann knows that feeling of failure  all too well and tries to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Blame Game

They lost the playoffs.

The Samwell Men’s Hockey team made it to the final round of playoffs in Chowder’s first year, but they ended up losing by one point in double overtime.

And Chowder blamed himself. The goalie’s job was to not let the pucks past him, and he couldn’t even do that. He was still glaring down the puck that slid past him when Bitty slid up next to him.

  
“Come on, Chowder. No sense staying out here, these things hurt less as a team.” Bitty smiled up at Chowder, and they both slowly started making their way to the box.

Bitty sucked in a breath, and put a hand on Chowder’s arm. The smaller player was looking over to where Jack was just... standing, in the middle of the rink. But his shoulders were shaking and Bitty gave him an apologetic look before darting towards their captain.

Chowder managed to get off the ice as Dex was stepping out of the box. The redhead looked up at him and sighed heavily before sarcastically muttering, “Great goaltending there, Chow.”

Chowder snapped his head up at Dex. What?

Dex was rarely one to snap, most of the team was great about not being hard on each other, but if harsh words were going to come from anyone, Chowder hadn’t expected it to be from a fellow frog. Dex was already huffing his way towards the locker room, and Chowder was left with his mouth agape.

Chowder slowly made his way to the locker room, where Ransom and Holster wouldn't make eye contact. It was a tense locker room, knowing they lost the final game, their fearless captain was possibly crying out on the rink, and everyone seemed to be blaming Chowder.  When Jack finally entered the locker room, he didn't look at anyone, just silently packed his things into his duffel bag.

Lost in his thoughts, Chowder quickly shoved his Sharks cap on his head and made his way to the bus. He slipped into the backseat of the bus, shoved earphones in, and just slept until his teammates joined him. Bitty nudged him, and the goalie opened his eyes to see the bus was filled.

"You ok?" Bitty asked quietly. He angled himself to block the freshman from the view of the rest of the bus.

Chowder nodded quickly, and put on a reassuring smile. "Yeah, Bitty. Just tired is all."

Bitty's face did a weird thing that made Chowder think Bitty didn't buy it, but he gave Chowder a pat before he moved towards the front of the bus. With a sigh, Chowder rolled over and passed out until Lardo shook him awake.

When Chowder stepped off the bus, Shitty was already yelling on the lawn about the need for a kegster to drown the team's sorrows, but Jack stepped in to say something before any kegsters took over.

"I just wanted to say thank you for all of the hard work you all put into this team. We made Samwell proud, and I was lucky to have such a great team to play with my senior year." Jack rubbed the back of his neck, "So... thank you. That's- That’s all."

Shitty patted Jack on the back and delegated people to pick up the alcohol and spread the news up and down the street.

The easy looks between teammates and the seeming acceptance of the game’s outcome hurt Chowder’s heart. Dex's comment was still rattling around in Chowder's head, adding to his previous guilt, so Chowder grabbed his duffel and started the walk back to the dorms.

Halfway across the River Quad, his phone started ringing. He picked up the phone with a morose hello, functioning sort of on autopilot towards his dorm.

"Chowder? Everything ok?" Farmer immediately sounded concerned

He sighed, "Yeah, we just got back from the game..."

"It was a good game, Chow." She said it quietly, and he knows she watched the online stream so he knows she saw him lose the game for the team.

Chowder didn't really know how to respond, but Farmer seemed to already be on top of it.

"I'm planning on watching Netflix and eating ice cream all night in my dorm if you want to join me?"

Chowder nodded quickly, before realizing Farmer couldn't see his nod. "Yeah, I will be right over."

"Of course Chowder. My door is open so just come right in!"

Chowder smiled for the first time since that damn puck slipped past him. "Thanks, Farmer."

 

* * *

**  
**  


Chowder skipped team breakfast in the dining hall the next morning, opting instead for frozen waffles prepared in Farmer’s illicit toaster. When she went to practice, Chowder just slipped back to his dorm and got lost in the depths of Netflix.

After his third straight movie, he found a long string of texts waiting on his phone that were becoming harder and harder to ignore.

Bitty: Hey Chowder, do you think a pecan pie or a rhubarb pie is better suited to this weather?

Bitty: Ok, I decided on rhubarb so you should probably get here in 30 minutes otherwise Ransom and Holster will devour more than their share.

Bitty: Chowder? I haven't heard from you all day...

Shitty: Yo, Chowder, you alive??

Bitty: Do not make me send a search party out for you.

Bitty: Chris Chow, text me back. Please?

Chowder panicked and immediately texted Bitty back, apologizing: Sorry Bitty, I was watching Netflix and forgot about my phone!

He shot off a quick text to Shitty apologizing for worrying him, before burying himself back into his blanket cocoon. He didn’t want to worry his team, after already causing them so much distress the night before. More than that, ignoring their texts might make them hate him, and he was already walking a thin line after playoffs.  

It couldn't have been an hour later when there was a pounding on his door.

"Chowder! We're going to the dining hall, you coming?" Nursey called through the door

He knew it was childish, but he couldn't stand to face his teammates yet. He just knew that they would all be giving him disappointed looks, and he couldn't stand to look at Shitty and Jack, the amazing seniors who deserved to win their last game. So he didn't respond.

The knocking came again, and this time Dex tried. "Chowder? You in there?"

They tried the door, and Chowder was incredibly glad he had locked it earlier. There was some murmuring outside and it sounded like footsteps walked away from his door.

Dex's snide comment still sat heavily on Chowder's heart and he didn't know how to face his teammates after letting them down. He knew that he did his best, but what did that say about his abilities as a goalie? He let them down when they needed him the most.

Another knock came at his door, and Chowder sighed quietly. He had hoped his teammates would leave him alone for the rest of the day.

"Cho-ooow, it's Farmer. C'mon, let me in."

A smile broke out on his face without him noticing. He shuffled to the door, blankets still hung over some of his limbs haphazardly, and unlocked the door for the girl. She smiled softly at him, before nudging her way into his room. He hadn't noticed the Stop & Shop bag she was carrying, but she upended the bag on his desk.

"Chips, weird almost-donuts, iced tea, and ice cream." Farmer looked up at him with a reassuring smile, "Now, what are we watching on Netflix?"

They had made it through a few episodes of Buffy, when Farmer stopped it from playing the next episode. Chowder whined at gave her a look.

Farmer laughed, but sat up to face the boy. “I think you need to talk about what happened yesterday.”

She wasn’t saying it to hurt Chowder, but he still pulled a blanket over his head with a small groan. “Do I have to?”

Farmer laughed, “No, but this ice cream is strictly for emotional moments, and no, being emotional over Buffy does not count.”

With a sigh, Chowder sat up and faced Farmer, looking everywhere but at her.

“I was beating myself up after the game for not stopping that last puck, and as I was getting off the ice... Dex said something to me. It wasn’t anything terrible and I don’t even think he meant to say it, but it was essentially a dig at my playing. I already knew that I cost the team the championship and Dex, one of us frogs, saying it just... it settled weird with me. All I wanted to do was hide from the team, but I also really don’t want them to hate me? I just... I don’t know what to do, Farms! I love the team but I think they all hate me for wrecking the game!”

He pulled in a deep breath after that, only for Farmer to squeeze it right back out of him.

“You didn’t lose the team the game, Chowder. You are not the only guy out on that rink and I hate seeing you blame yourself for a team loss.” She ran her fingers lightly through her hair.

With a shrug, Chowder just sunk back into his blanket nest, while Farmer started to get up. She turned around and waved her phone at the boy.

“I left my charger in my dorm, I’m just going to run and grab it, ok? I’ll be right back!”

Chowder waved her off, and hit play on Netflix.

* * *

 

Farmer walked through the front door of the Haus, ready to figure out what exactly in hell this team’s problem was, but still a little unsure of how to approach the team as a whole. She took a deep breath in the entryway, before moving to see the living room where Dex and Nursey were playing video games.

“Hey, guys! Team meeting in the kitchen, right now, ok?”

She didn’t give them a chance to question her because she turned right around and marched into the kitchen. Bitty was baking a pie, while Jack and Lardo sat at the table looking over photos.   
  
“Hey Bitty, where are the other players?” Farmer asked, trying not to just shake each of these players to ask why they were being terrible to Chowder.

Bitty turned around with a surprised smile, “Hey there Miss Farmer. No idea, but if you just holler up the stairs, they should appear.”

She nodded and strode towards the staircase before yelling, “Team meeting, in the kitchen! Now, please!”

Satisfied at the stumbling heard upstairs, she re-entered the kitchen. Everyone was giving her a strange look, but they would know soon enough. It was easier just to explain it once.

Shitty wandered in, while Ransom and Holster were grumbling about never getting to call team meetings. Jack just told them to be quiet and sit down.

The main part of the team, or at least the part that Chowder cared most about, was assembled in the kitchen, and now she was nervous. But this wasn’t for her, this was for the sad freshman goalie curled under blankets because he thinks he caused the team to lose the entire championship game.

“Look, I don’t know if you guys have noticed, but Chowder has been avoided you all today.” Bitty’s hands flew to his chest, but she couldn’t be interrupted if she was going to say all of what she need to.

“He is currently under the impression that the entire team blames him for the loss and he has seriously begun to doubt whether or not he even belongs on the team. He always beats himself up for letting any pucks pass him, much less the game-losing puck, and Dex’s comment to him just made it worse. I don’t know exactly what was said, but it was enough to convince Chowder that the entire team couldn’t even stand the sight of him after the loss.

I’m sorry but aren’t you all a team? You all love that phrase Got Your Back, so maybe you should show Chowder that you--”

Farmer cut off mid sentence because the team captain, Jack just stood up from his chair and stormed out of the Haus. Honestly, overdramatic hockey players? How did she end up here?

“Anyway, as I was saying...

* * *

 

Chowder has given up on Netflix for a bit, and was instead watching old Carey Price videos on Youtube, when he heard a knock on his door.

He put on the best smile he could muster to greet Farmer and swung the door open.

That was not Farmer. That was Jack, as in Captain Jack Zimmermann.

A slightly embarrassing squeak may have escaped his mouth.

“Hey, Chowder. Can I come in?”

Chowder just kept nodding his head, earning him a small smirk from Jack, who took a seat on his bed, gesturing for Chowder to do the same.

“Jack, what are you doing here? Not that I’m not super pumped to see you, but I uh--” Chowder grimaced and looked down at his shark comforter.

“You’ve been avoiding the team.”

Chowder panicked for a second, but Jack continued quickly after seeing his eyes bulge.

“After Dex’s comment, I would have too. Bittle is dealing with that, by the way. He is probably figuring out how to bake Dex into a pie right now.”

Chowder gave him a bit of a confused look, but Jack just looked around the goalie’s room while he talked.

“Farmer called a team meeting at the Haus and told us all off for blaming the loss on you. She’s probably still there, actually.”

A small smile crept up on Chowder’s face and Jack had to duck his head in an attempt to hide his own smile.

“She was right. Even without Dex’s comment, we should have been more clear about ... We would not have made it to double overtime without you making some great saves. Winning is a team effort, but so is losing.”

The captain sighed, and Chowder was ready to respond, when Jack looked him directly in the eyes, “You play from your heart. I do the same thing, and while it means you play well, it also means every defeat is crushing. This isn’t going to be the last game you lose, but no one wants you blaming yourself for team losses.”

They sit in awkward silence for a while, Jack reeling from trying to empathize with the goalie, and Chowder reeling from receiving a motivational talk from the captain.

“So you guys aren’t mad?”

Jack huffed out a small laugh, “No, Chowder, we are not mad. And I’m pretty sure Shitty is going to try to keep Farmer around, if that look in his eyes is any judge.”

Chowder actually laughed at that one, and Jack looked satisfied.

He stood up from the bed and stretched a bit, his knees popping as he rose.

“Well, this was... good. Now, Bitty has a pie waiting at the Haus and we aren’t allowed to eat any until you do.”

Chowder laughed and felt the relief coursing through him. His teammates did not hate him, he was still welcome on the team, and the best part? The team seemed to like Farmer!!

He shoved his feet into shoes, since Jack was already standing by the doorway, and rushing to stand up.  Jack held out a hand for him, that was apparently for him to shake. Thoroughly confused, Chowder shook his hand, but it doesn’t clarify why Jack suddenly needed a hand shake.

Jack moved forward through the door, but paused a few steps in. He looked over his shoulder, and says:

“You have my dibs, Chowder.”

  
(Chowder did a little off-ice celly in his dorm room before bolting off to catch Jack)

**Author's Note:**

> I swear I love Dex, but I just had a horrid time trying to figure out who would dare lash out at Chowder after a major loss. 
> 
> This was also definitely inspired by Subban ripping on people who were giving Price crap about losing the game, instead of talking about the team as a whole.


End file.
